Panya: The One Stop Bakery

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Photo by Lily Chin.

Located on 8 Stuyvesant Street next to St. Mark’s Bookstore and directly across from Alumni Hall, Panya is one of the most versatile eateries in town. At the counter, Panya has a large variety of baked goods and prepared drinks. On the right, there is a refrigerated section that offers a multitude of grab-and-go options, and at the back of the store, there is a kitchen for sit down orders. It has an abundance of indoor and outdoor seating for those who would like to sit down and enjoy a conversation over coffee or a full meal. From an appetizer to dessert, Panya offers a plethora of Japanese influenced foods, without the gratuity.

Photo by Lily Chin.

Grab & Go Meals

Panya offers an array of pre-made Onigiri rice balls under $2. The rice balls are wrapped in nori seaweed and filled with choices of shrimp tempura, salmon, tuna and mayo, seasoned kelp, and sour plum. These rice balls can be consumed cold or reheated in their microwave. For a bigger appetite, assorted Bento boxes are available at $6.25 each. Bento box contents range on a daily basis, but each box will have rice, a protein and some vegetables. The Nori Bento has brown or white rice, with a sheet of nori seaweed and pan-seared salmon on top. It is accompanied with a gyoza, stewed mushroom, carrot, hijiki salad, and fishcake tempura on top of spring salad. Some Bento boxes have Korean style pork, hamburger patties, shrimp tempura, or Japanese fried chicken.

Photo by Lily Chin.

Sit-Down Meals

In the back of Panya, there are various freshly cooked Udon noodle soup, Donburi (rice bowls), breakfasts and sandwiches ranging from $6-8. The Oyako Donburi ($7.25), a chicken and egg rice bowl is a traditional favorite. The chicken is simmered in a slightly sweet soy-based sauce. Then, the eggs are cracked over the chicken and simmered until the eggs are slightly under-cooked, yielding a soft velvety texture. Then the egg, chicken and sauce are piled on top of piping hot rice. For noodle lovers, there are Udon classics such as fish cake ($6.50) and shrimp tempura ($7.95).

Photo by Lily Chin.

Snacks and Sweets

At the counter, there are a variety of savory and sweet breads under $3. The Cookie Custard Bread is the marriage of baked goods. The bread bun is filled with creamy milk custard, and a layer of cookie batter is poured over the bread. The outside of the bread yields a mealy sugar cookie taste, balanced with the soft chewy bread and the velvety custard is absolutely scrumptious. Savory breads include flavors such as Sausage, Cheese & Corn and Potato Croquette.

Photo by Lily Chin.

There are also various cakes and desserts, from Strawberry Shortcake to New York Cheesecake ($3.95). Right below the cakes, there are macaroons for $1.50 each. A customer favorite is the Green Tea and Black Sesame Macaroon. However, for something different, try the White Chocolate Bacon Macaroon. On the outside it looks like a normal macaroon. On the first bite there’s a white chocolate sweetness with a slight smoky bacon flavor, but in the center of the macaroon, there is a piece of bacon (gasp). The macaroon isn’t bacon flavored, it’s bacon filled.